Strapless brassiere



Patented pr. 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,239,056 srRArLEssBRAssxRs Mary Schiffer, New York, N. Y.

Application March 4, 1939, Serial No. 259,85?

5 Claims.

The invention relates to womens undergarments of the brassire type,whether constituted of the construction known as a bandeau or oneembodying a corselet, i. e. a garment of relatively narrow form, adaptedwhen worn to encircle the body of the wearer in the region of the bustsand the region of the body immediately underlying the busts.

More particularly, the invention relates to a brassire so constructed asto be capable of not only molding the busts so as to accentuate thecontours thereof in a manner dictated by present trends of fashion butwhich is also capable of so supporting the busts as to result in thespreading of the busts in addition to supporting them in an upliftedcondition, These objects of my novel construction are attained withoutthe use of straps for supporting the garment from the shoulders of thewearer. My novel garment embodies certain features of construction whichproduce other advantages including, besides the accentuation of the lineof demarcation between .the busts; a distribution of the pullconstituting the lifting force acted upon the molded busts; thecorrection of any inequality in the physical bust contour, size ordisposition; the confinement of the spreading of the busts to just thedegree necessary to present the desired bosom outline; and the effectingof the proper centralization of the busts while supporting them in aproper uplifted condition by breast supports serving to simultaneouslylift and spread them.

A specic feature of my novel construction of brassire resides in theformation of the bust pockets with a pair of spirally extending bones orstays secured along the central median line of the garment and extendingover the bust section and downwardly on the opposite sides of the bustsections, whereby the boning is effective to keep the bones in aposition to yield a substantially natural bust line.

Another feature of my novel construction is the provision of asubstantially fiat strip of boning along substantially the center lineof the garment to effect a separation of the busts and to accentuate theline of demarcation between the busts.

Still another feature consists in the provision of a pair of elasticstrips running diagonally across the bottom of the bust sections andterminating at the bust center line, which likewise effect a separationof the busts and keep the garment in position upon the body.

For the purpose of having the garment completely follow the curves ofthe body in all positions of the garment thereon, I provide elasticshirring at the upper bust center line and also along the upper edge ofthe garment at each side of the bust sections. The latter shirring iseffective also to support the garment in a substantially flat conditionagainst the body and eliminate the propensity of the ilesh from hangingover the edges of the garment.

All of the above enumerated features combine their individual effects insuch manner as to produce a combination garment of special utility andservice yielding results not heretofore secured by prior art structures.Each of the features of my novel garment cooperates with each otherfeature to provide the advantages of the general unitary garment toeffect the results hereinabove enumerated.

In the accompanying drawings, ln which I have illustrated a particularembodiment of my invention, Fig. 1 is a front View of a garmentconstructed in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 is a rear viewthereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the brassire is constructedin the form of a relatively narrow garment adapted, when worn, toencircle the body of the wearer in the region of the busts andimmediately under 4the busts. In the illustrated form, the brassirecomprises an outer section 3 of relatively soft fabric or other equallypliable material capable of easily conforming itself to the form of thebusts. The section 3 is cut in accordance with a selected pattern ofpredetermined form and in the illustrated example is surmounted by apair of sections 4, 4 which may be desire-bly made of a net material toconstitute the upper portions of the bust sections. Secured to thesection 3 by means of intermediate sections 5, 5 and elastic inserts 6,6 at the bottom of the garment, are sections 1, 1 which are adapted tooverlie the back of the wearer, to the vertical edges to which aresecured preferably elastic sections 8, 8 provided along theirlongitudinal edges with series of cooperating fastener structures 9 andI0.

Each of the aforementioned sections are joined to the adjacent sectionsby a plurality of lines of stitching which will be described in greaterdetail hereinafter with respect to those whichV form pockets to receivestrips of boning.

Extending substantially throughout the center portion of the garment, isa pocket II formed by an overlying strip of fabric material within whichpocket is positioned an elongated strip of boning l2. Such stripofboning is secured within the pocket by lines or stitching I3, I3joining the piece of fabric to the section 3. At each side of thecentral pocket, as thus formed. there are' formed two additional pocketsby lines of stitching Il, Il within which, extending to a slight extentbelow the horizontal center line of the garment, are positioned a pairof spiral strips of soft, flexible honing I5, I5 which extend upwardlyadjacent the central honing I2, the honing extending in an arc along theupper edges of the bust sections and then downwardlyatthe opposite sidesof the bust sections through pockets I8, I8 at the extremities of thesection 3, the boning preferably extending to a point removed from thebottom edge of the garment. It will be understood, of course, that whileI have shown the ilexihle honing I5 as starting from, and extendingto,points removed from the bottom edge of the composite garment, they mayextend substantially throughout the width of the garment, so as to beginand terminate at substantially the bottom edge of the section 3.

'I'he disposition of the flexible honing I5 within the pockets Il and I6and the intermediate portion of such pockets extending throughout theupper periphery of the hust sections, is clearly illustrated bybroken-away sections in Fig. 2.

Extending throughout the width of the garment, at each side of thesection 3, is a pair of pockets I1, I'I within which are secured honingI8, I8.

Secured to, and extending from, a point somewhat below the center of thepocket II, is a pair of elastic strips I9, I9 running diagonally acrossthe interior face of the garment, crossing each other approximately atthe upper extremity of the pocket I I housing the honing I2, andextending in opposite directions from said upper extremity, to the edgesof the bust sections to which the elastic strips are joined so as toextend substantially tangentially of the peripheral edges of the bustsections defined by the pockets containing the flexible honing I5. Thesestrips of elastic, by reason of their particular disposition upon thesurface of the garment and the securement thereof to cause the spreadingof the busts so as to accentuate the line oi' demarcation between them,while at the same time they brace the bust sections to eiect a propercentralization of the busts and mold them to a substantially naturalformation.

In order to secure a proper curving and disposition of the garment uponthe body in all positions of the garment, I provide the shirring atthecentral portion of the garment along the edges of the elastic stripsextending upwardly from their point of juncture at the upper extremityof the center honing I2, and similar shirring 2l, 2| along the upperedges of the sections 1. Such latter shirring, as at 2l, may be used inconjunction with underlying strips of elastic 22, 23, the structure thusproduced being effective to support the edges of the garment flatagainst the body and eliminate the creeping of flesh over the edges soas to hang over the garment.

Along the outer edges of the sections 'l and constituting the line ofjuncture of such sections with the elastic sections 8, I provide pockets2l within which are secured strips of honing which are effective totaper ileslw formations and allow the provision of a low-cut back on thegarment, for instance by the tapering of the elastic sections B to theirouter edges.

The particular embodiment of my novel garment illustrated in thedrawings is shown with a pair of lining strips 26 overlying the back ofthe section 3, but the provision of these lining strips, as are theparticular disposition, contouration and correlation of the variouselastic inserts is to he regarded as illustrative and not limiting; Thenovel features of my construction of garment have been particularlypointed out hereinabove and it is to be understood that changes in theconfiguration and disposition of the several parts may be made withoutdeparting from my invention.

I claim:

l. A strapless brassire adapted to encircle the body of the wearer inthe bust region, comprising an outer section of pliable fabric material,and including a pair of bust sections having curved outer edges,fastening means for securing the same in place, a pocket disposedsubstantially centrally, and vertically, of the garment, a strip ofhoning secured within said pocket extending substantially throughout thecenter portion of said garment, a pair of strips of soft, flexible,honing running substantially along the edges of said central honing andcurving throughout the upper edges of the bust sections constituting apart of said outer section of pliable material and straight downwardlyat the outer edges of said hust sections, and a pair of elastic stripsextending from the outer edges of said bust sections remote from saidcentrally disposed pocket to the upper extremity of said central honing,crossing and secured at such upper extremity, and extendingsubstantially tangentially to the curved outer edges of the bustsections.

2. A strapless brassire adapted to encircle the body of the wearer inthe hust region, comprising an outer sectionv of pliable fabricmaterial, and including a. pair of bust sections having curved outeredges, fastening means for securing the same in place, a pocket disposedsubstantially centrally, and vertically, of the garment, a strip ofhoning secured within said pocket extending substantially throughout thecenter portion of said garment, a pair of strips of soft, flexible,honing ruiming substantially along the edges of said central honing andcurving throughout the upper edges of the hust sections constituting apart of said outer section of pliable material and downwardly at theouter edges of said bust sections, and a pair of elastic stripsextending from the outer edges of said bust sections to the upperextremity of said central honing, crossing at such upper extremity, andextending substantially tangentially to the curved outer edges of thebust sections, elastic shirring at the portion of the garmentintermediate the upper curved edges of the bust sections, and elasticshirring at the two upper edge portions of the garment at each side ofthe bust sections.

3. A strapless brassire adapted to encircle the body of the wearer inthe bust region, comprising an outer section of pliable fabric material,and including a pair of bust sections having curved outer edges,fastening means for securing the same in place, a pocket disposedsubstantially centrally, and vertically, of the garment, a strip ofhoning secured within said pocket v extending substantially throughoutthe center portion of said garment, a pair of strips of soft, flexible,honing running substantially along the edges of said central honing andcurving throughout the upper edges of the bust sections constituting a.part of said outer section of pliable material and downwardly at theouter edges of said bust sections, and a pair of elastic stripsextending from the outer edges of said bust sections to the upperextremity of said central boning, crossing at such upper extremity, andextending substantially tangentially to the curved Y outer edges of thebust sections, elastic shirring the lower edge of the garment.

4. A strapless brassire adapted to encircle the body of the wearer inthe bust region, comprising an outer section of pliable fabric material,and including a pair of bust sections having curved outer edges,fastening means for securing the same in place, a pair of strips ofsoft, iiexible, honing running substantially along the central part ofthe garment and curving throughout the upper edges of the bust sectionsconstituting a part o1' said outer section of pliable material anddownwardly at the outer edges of said bust sections, and a pair ofelastic strips extending from the outer edges of said bust sections tothe upper extremity of said central part of the garnient, crossing atsuch upper extremity, and extending substantially tangentially to thecurved outer edges of the bust sections, elastic shirring at the portionof the garment intermediate the upper curved edges of the bust sections,and elastic shirring at the rtwo upper edge portions of the garment ateach side of the bust sections.

5. A strapless brassire adapted to encircle the body of the wearer inthe bust region, comprising an'outer section of pliable fabric material,and including a pair of bust sections having curved outer edges,fastenng means for securing the same in place, a pair of strips of soft,flexible, boning running substantially along the central part of thegarment and curving throughout the upper edges of the bust sectionsconstituting a part of sald outer section of pliable material anddownwardly at the outer edges of said bust sections, and a pair ofelastic strips extending from the outer edges of said bust sections tothe upper extremity of said central part of the garment, crossing atsuch upper extremity, and extending substantially tangentially to thecurved outer.

edges of the bust sections, elastic shirring at the portion of thegarment intermediate the upper curved edges of the bust sections, andelastic shirring at the two upper edge portions of the garment at eachside ot the bust sections, and a pair of strips of boning extending fromthe extremities o1' the latter elastic shirring to the lower edge of thegarment.

MARY SCHIFFER.

